Town's sky high architectural beauty is truly majestic

The focus of this weeks Hidden Gems is a phenomenon that has coined the phrase ‘buildings in the sky’.

Now, that may sound ridiculous, as logic decrees that all buildings have a certain amount of height to them, but in this case it refers to the upper floors of structures, that to a certain extent, remain hidden to the eyes of passers by.

It’s common knowledge that the French modelled the Champs Elysee’s on Lord Street, but, our continental cousins have made a tourist attraction out of bâtiments dans le ciel (buildings in the sky).

Lord Street has some of the finest examples of Victorian, Georgian, mock Tudor and neo classical buildings in the whole of the UK. One of my personal favourites can be found above the Jaeger shop. Stunning blue tiles, leaded windows and elaborate stone work. The top is crowned with a depiction of a Greek God.

A walk along Lord Street brings you to the Waterstones book shop, formerly Lord’s Wine Bar. This is a stunning example of our most famous street at its best.

As a kid, I always imagined this to be the home of the King of Southport!

Walking further West and the upper floors above the Royal Arcade are an excellent example of sandstone craftsmanship.

Most of our Buildings in the Sky go unnoticed, thanks in no small part to another prominent feature, the ornate cast iron canopies. Whilst they shelter us from the rain, they also keep some of our most attractive gems hidden.

Next time you are shopping in town, have a look up into the clouds and marvel at the wonders we have here in Southport.

You can watch Neil Newton on SKY TV channel 256- Holiday & Cruise, follow on Twitter @presenterneil and listen to Wirral Radio breakfast on digital radio across the North West.